Social media is a ubiquitous element of modern life. Although retina practices are traditionally conservative in their electronic communications, we are now beyond the tipping point of widespread social media use. Here, we will discuss how getting online can help bring patients into your practice—and boost your bottom line.

BRANDING IS KEY

There is no successful path to practice promotion via social media without brand definition and awareness. The brand is the basis of the relationship between patient, client, or consumer, and the product or service (i.e., health care) consumed. You and your practice need a defined brand. If you don’t have a brand identity, assess what is most important to you and your practice and where your strengths lie. If you do nothing else but crystalize your brand message, this review will be worthwhile.

Once you have established the tenets central to your practice, define the groups you want to reach via social media. Think of who your practice is trying to reach, such as patients and their family members, in addition to referring physicians. General ophthalmologists and other physicians need a retina practice in which they have confidence and one that makes it easy for them to refer their patients who are in need of retina care.

When it comes to content, the most straightforward and best promotional strategy is to focus on providing helpful information, such as patient resources and medical updates, including patient disease summaries (e.g., what is a retinal detachment?), procedure information (e.g., what to expect when you come in for an intravitreal injection), and topical medical updates (e.g., new product approvals or novel services offered in a respective practice).

In terms of frequency, practice promotion via social media is an ongoing, active pursuit that must evolve as your practice patterns change and your patient population grows. Think of your website and social media as moving vehicles, where a lack of updates can stagnate your effectiveness at reaching your target audience.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Retina practices can choose from an array of social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram are all large-scale social media sites on which users can share images, post links, and communicate with other users. They are all great options to reach your target patient audience.

On the business side, Doximity is a specialized online social networking service for U.S. clinicians with a variety of functions, including contacts, professional profiles, continuing medical education, and a digital doctors lounge for conversation. According to the company, the site has upwards of 1.8 million verified users, with more than 80% of U.S. doctors and 50% of all nurse practitioners and physician assistants as members.¹

WEB-BASED RATINGS

The advent of online and social medical platforms has democratized the ability to review and judge your delivery of medical care. More than 80% of all U.S. adults use online sites to inform their product or service purchase decisions.² Not surprisingly, health care is no different, with 53% of physicians and 39% of patients visiting a healthcare rating website at least once to evaluate a physician or practice.³ The principal healthcare rating sites include Google, RateMDs.com , HealthGrades.com , Vitals.com , and Yelp. Unfortunately, anyone can post to these sites, and verification remains a problem. Nonetheless, a strong brand and social media presence can help counterbalance any negative reviews.

GETTING STARTED

Any of the major social media apps can be used as a gateway into online promotion. In my opinion, Twitter is a logical starting point. Think of it as your “micro-blog.” Your tweets allow you to highlight your practice and connect with colleagues, patients, and others in a short, easily digestible, and enjoyable format.

Tweeting doesn’t require significant time or energy, and anyone can read tweets. Although only registered account holder can post tweets and comments, anyone with an internet connection can view your tweets. A record of all tweets is stored on your home page, which offers a summary of your practice.

SOCIAL MEDIA PITFALLS TO AVOID

• Violating Patient Privacy: You cannot provide patient-specific information or images online. This violates patient privacy and has serious legal consequences. Do not, under any circumstance, post patient information without permission or use a social media platform to communicate directly with a patient about a specific medical problem. If a patient wants to communicate, you or your office should contact that patient directly by phone and move the discussion to a private phone call or an in-office visit.
• Online Sales: Be careful with selling products on your website. This has the potential for conflicts of interest, which can damage patient-physician and patient-practice relationships. For example, advertising a specific product (e.g., nutritional supplements) can create the optics of bias, and may be viewed negatively by patients and colleagues.
• Infrequent updates: Failure to regularly update your account will quickly lead to low visibility and hinder your ability to promote your practice. Be sure to keep your accounts active and your content relevant to your audience.

CONCLUSIONS

Through the connectivity of affordable internet access and multiple online platforms, social media now contributes to the narrative in medicine and influences social commentary. Proactive promotion of your retina practice on social media allows you to have an active voice and offers you a direct line to your patients and referring physicians, as well as an online audience at large. NRP

REFERENCES

1. Doximity website. 2021. Available at: https://press.doximity.com/ . Last accessed Sept. 15, 2021.
2. Smith A, Anderson M. Pew Research Center. Online shopping and e-commerce. http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/12/19/online-shopping-and-e-commerce/ Published December 19, 2016. Accessed November 28, 2018.
3. Holliday AM, Kachalia A, Meyer GS, Sequist TD. Physician and patient views on public physician rating websites: a cross-sectional study. J Gen Intern Med. 2017;32(6):626–631. doi:10.1007/s11606-017-3982-5